Hint: Our grandparents would've been great at this.

Lately, I’ve had a lot of conversations with local business operators about the value of using ‘Social Media’, and there are some common threads in those conversations worth sharing.

For example, I often hear things like:

“Why does my competitor have a Facebook page for his business?”
“What’s the big deal with this Twitter thing?”
“What am I supposed to talk about?”
“We sell sheds and aluminum fencing; my customers don’t use Social Media.”
“It’s a waste of time… Social Media is for teenagers… I’m too busy.”

Some of these statements sound a bit negative I think, but don’t worry; I also hear things like this:

“I don’t need to pay for advertising, I use Facebook and it’s free.”
“All of my marketing is ‘Social Media Marketing’ it delivers the greatest ROI”
“Traditional Media (Newspapers, TV, Radio) is dead, but Social Media is the future.”
“Social Media keeps me in better contact with my customers and my competition”
“I encourage all my employees to use Social Media.”

The topic of Social Media is incredibly polarizing among local business operators, and not surprisingly, especially when you consider that we are living through the largest (not one of the largest… the LARGEST) fundamental shift in the way we communicate in our history.

Frankly, a shift of that magnitude can be, well… pretty scary and intimidating!

But here are some takeaways you should know that relate to how you do business:

2. The BIG deal with all of this stuff is that it’s another way for us to communicate and build relationships. Being able to communicate, and building relationships will always have value.

3. Just because you can have a Facebook page for your business doesn’t mean you should have a Facebook page for your business. There are lots of reasons your competitor might have one, and not all those reasons are necessarily good for business. You should stop yourself before you even get started and ask “Why?” why do you need any of these Social tools? The answer shouldn’t be “ Keeping up with the Jones’s”.

5. You might think the people who buy your products don’t use Social Media (i.e. aluminum fencing) but they do, I promise. They may be a small fraction of your customer base, but they’re incredibly valuable because potentially, they’re your most influential customers.

6. If you think only teenagers use Social Media then why are you reading this?

8. You should have very clear business goals in place for your Social Media efforts. You need thoughtful metrics in place so you can measure results along the way. When you talk about the ROI of your Social Media efforts, what are you really measuring? Is it ‘Friends’ or ‘Followers’, redeemed coupons, online purchases, overall revenue, or something else?

9. You’re probably right if you think Social Media is a big part of our future, but this shouldn’t be surprising. We’re social creatures after all, and it’s in our blood to seek connections and relationships. However, don’t discount the power and value of traditional media; you can cast a large net with the ‘megaphone’ of tools like Radio to inspire people and drive engagement with you online. The future will be more about a blending of media rather than about types of media living or dying.

10. Lastly, one of the most powerful aspects of Social Media is it supercharges your ability to listen. Yes, it’s important to ‘talk’ in these Social channels, but listening is a skill lost on most business folks choosing to work in Social Media. Listen to your customers and your competition. Ask questions, seek feedback, take the time to listen to responses… and then actually respond! Think of it like a big cocktail party; who ends up being more compelling, the person who talks about themselves all night or the person who seems genuinely interested in what other people have to say?

Remember, Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter weren’t necessarily built to help you sell more stuff, and most local business operators who’ve found success using Social Media have had to work really hard at it.

But hard work pays off, and there’s a lot to gain here. A lot of local businesses enjoy deeper, engaging relationships with their customers as a result of Social Media, and those are key ingredients in the big consumer relationship gem – TRUST. After all, we tend to spend time with people we trust, and we tend to spend money with businesses we trust.

But what do you think? Has Social Media had an impact on the way you do business? Leave a note in the comments below here if you feel like sharing, and thanks for reading.

A Quick Thought on Radio Commercial Copy

Posted By: Jaime Solis

So as I sit today and listen though the commercial breaks (stop sets) on various Radio stations, I am once again reminded just how many terrible commercials there are on the air.

To be fair, a lot of people in Radio and Advertising are overworked and underpaid; they do their best with the resources available, but it’s not a combination that inspires a lot of commercial masterpieces.

But I mean terrible in that a lot of commercials I hear don’t stand a chance of delivering the results their clients are surely hoping for. They don’t do a good enough job of earning my valuable attention, so the clients’ message is lost in the noise.

(Quickly: I said earn my attention, not get my attention, so no shouting or violent bursts of sound meant to scare me into full attention. My life gets noisy enough without you adding to it, thank you.)

So as you contemplate how to write your next piece of Radio Commercial Copy maybe try and keep this in mind:

We connect with other people on a regular basis because we can relate, or are interested in their ‘story’. Maybe we come from similar backgrounds, or have similar interests. Maybe our personal story intersects with another persons’ professionally, or through our personal needs, wants, and desires.

Everyday our individual story is unfolding, filled with personal highs & lows, adventures, disasters, and accomplishments. And guess what, we’re all drawn to great stories and we all love to share great stories.

It’s why there are cave paintings depicting the hunt, and blockbuster movies made about the underdogs beating the odds.

So what is the great story that you can tell about your Brand or Business?

It better not be that you’ve been in business for 50 years… or that your family owned… or that customer service is the cornerstone of your operation.

A lot of business folks tell this tale; it’s not interesting or unique. If a story isn’t interesting or unique it doesn’t win my attention.

So what else is there?

Open yourself up to discovering the unique story of your Brand and share it with us.

A Customer Service lesson from The U.S. Postal Service

Recently, an interesting piece of mail arrived at my home, and both the envelope and the contents are pictured here.

If you can’t tell from the picture, a piece of our mail had been damaged and lost (frustrating).

However, what struck me most was the U.S. Postal Service decided to send us our torn, empty piece of mail in a larger white envelope which says the following:

WE CARE

Dear Valued Postal Customer,

I want to extend my sincere apology as your Postmaster for the enclosed document that was inadvertently damaged in handling by your Postal Service.

We are aware how important your mail is to you. With that in mind, we are forwarding it to you in an expeditious fashion.

It goes on to say:

The Postal Service handles over 202 billion pieces of mail a year, and that mistakes happen.

They’re constantly working to improve their methods.

I should do my part to help them by addressing my envelopes correctly.

They appreciate my understanding, and sincerely regret any inconvenience.

Signed…“YOUR POSTMASTER” (No actual name, but printed in caps in the same blue ink as the rest of the text)

To be clear; this is not a whining bash on the Post Office. I appreciate the impressive volume of mail they handle, and the scale of their business. I know mistakes happen, and truthfully, I can count on one hand how many times in my life I’ve dealt with lost and/or damaged mail.

Here’s my point; nothing about this pre-packaged response felt anything like the “WE CARE” headline the Post Office chose to print. No contact information listed, not even the name of my Postmaster, let alone my mail carrier. What if I had a question? No luck.

Somewhere in a Post Office near me, there are boxes and boxes of these pre-printed envelopes for just such an occasion. Broken mail goes in apology envelope, envelope goes to customer, problem solved, unhappy customer tended to.

What it feels like, is a calculated response to a customer service issue that puts the company first, not the customer. (C’mon Mr. Post Office, you’ve got more tools to let me know you ‘care’ at your disposable than ever before.)

So I ask you:

What systems do you have in place in your business to address customer concerns, or problems?

Are they designed for your benefit, or for the benefit of your customers?

How much emphasis are you putting on the total ‘Experience’ your customers are having with you, regardless of whether they love you, or if they have a problem?

Make no mistake; ‘experience’ has never been more important in business, given our increased level of connection. Your customers are going to let you know what they think of you, whether you’re ready for them to or not.

Wouldn’t you prefer to have that conversation within the framework of your brand? Wouldn’t you prefer the experience your customers have with you to be the standard by which your competitors are measured?

I know not everyone does, but this is certainly the time of year when people are doing a lot of reflecting, and perhaps some goal setting for the future.

It’s in the spirit of setting goals that I wanted to share this video, because it speaks about potential, (and it also happens to be very funny). This is one part of what a New Year means to me; a fresh set of months to explore our almost endless potential as people and professionals.

Will you be prepared to deliver this Holiday season?

The commercial use of the internet by American adults has grown since the mid-2000s, with 58% of Americans now reporting that they perform online research concerning the products and services that they are considering purchasing.

That is an increase from 49% who said they conducted product or service research online in 2004.
Morever, the number of those who do research about products on any given day has jumped from 15% of adults in September 2007 to 21% in September 2010. From February 2004, the number of adults conducting research on any given day has more than doubled, up from 9%.

Additionally, 24% of American adults say they have posted comments or reviews online about the product or services they buy, indicating a willingness to share their opinions about products and the buying experience with others.

“Many Americans begin their purchasing experience by doing online research to compare prices, quality, and the reviews of other shoppers,” said Jim Jansen, Senior Fellow at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and author of a new report about online product research. “Even if they end up making their purchase in a store, they start their fact-finding and decision-making on the internet.”

Now may be the time to consider casting a large net with traditional media advertising, (Radio, Print, Outdoor etc.) enticing consumers to connect, and learn about you online.

With economic signs suggesting consumers still want to do more saving than spending during the Holiday’s, it will become that much more important for consumers to be able to “touch” you online, and for your business to provide them with something of value at reasonable cost.

That ‘something’ could be as simple, and as FREE as information.

Now may be the time to really pour energy into updating your website, or your online space, with information that consumers will find truly helpful as they navigate their Holiday spending.

Are all of your product/service specs listed and up to date?

Is your contact information correct and easy to locate on your site?

Will you be offering any special coupons or discounts to Holiday shoppers?

If it makes sense; are your customers able to purchase online?

You’ll be a step ahead of your competitors if you pour effort into your online presence… or you may be several steps behind them if you don’t.

The Recipe for Successful Advertising

Posted By: Jaime Solis

Imagine… by the end of this post you will know the best kept secret in advertising. You will be able to invest your advertising dollar more effectively and with more confidence. You’ll see positive results, and you will know exactly what it takes to grow your business.

So here goes… This is the recipe for successful advertising:

1. Measurement - This is the Science of advertising. You plan and make tweaks to your Ad Campaign based on thoughtful insights into your market. You explore and target who your potential customers are. You purchase your Media Advertising (Radio, Print, TV, Online etc.) based on Reach, Frequency and Audience type. You put a series of goals in place for along the way that are easy to track. You re-visit this entire process on a regular basis and make adjustments as needed.

2. Creativity - This is the Art of advertising. The most successful advertisers are often the most creative, meaning they’re willing to take creative risks, be different, and make mistakes. You pour energy into creating a message that is clear, concise, and compelling. You value your messages’ ability to cut through an ocean of noise and tired old advertising clichés.

3. Time - This is the last ingredient and perhaps the hardest to include. Time is the water that makes growth possible. Are you patient enough to see beyond the first few months of your advertising? Do you treat your advertising efforts like a sprint, or a marathon? The first few months of a new advertising campaign are when most people pull the plug and stop, never realizing how close they came to success. This is why discipline and realistic expectations are so important; we live in a world that increasingly caters to our desire for instant gratification, but if you want real, sustainable growth for your business, you have to be patient.

MEASUREMENT + CREATIVITY + TIME = SUCCESS

That’s the big secret. Now what will you do with it?

By the way, if you know some different formulas for success I would love to hear them; please click on ‘Comments’ below if you feel like sharing.

How Radio can impact your Online business

Posted By: Jaime Solis

Quite often I find myself with clients who are actively engaged in some kind of online advertising on behalf of their business. For some, it’s nothing more than a few purchased Google AdWords, or maybe a Banner Ad or two. For others it’s a strong, calculated online presence over a variety of platforms.

I love it all, and I can appreciate efforts on both ends of the spectrum. However, what worries me most is the misconception held by some, that Radio somehow doesn’t fit, and is detached from this online space.

Nothing could be further from the truth; if you’re already advertising online (or considering it), here’s why Radio might be your new best friend:

In the online space that relationship can halo around the listener, the Radio Station, and your brand very easily, with lots of room for creativity, (i.e. Images, Video, Coupons, Links).

For example; if you currently buy/want Banner Ad or Display Advertising, consider the real estate available to you on your LOCAL Radio stations’ website, where there’s a high amount of LOCAL traffic (eyeballs) exploring loads of LOCAL content and entertainment. Being featured in this space gives your advertisement context, since it is “surrounded” by a trusted Radio Station brand the same way an on-air commercial spot is.

But this is tip of the iceberg stuff; a big reason Radio Advertising and Online Business work so well together, is because Radio has the ability to create DEMAND.

Radio is the big, loud “Megaphone” that can create demand for that online search, or that web address. And frankly, the Google’s and the Facebook’s of the world would kill for that Megaphone!

So here’s a scenario: You have a web site for your business. Driving traffic to your web site is a big priority because you collect client information, and sell a product/service through your site.

You use Radio’s big “Megaphone” (and good Radio commercial copy) to not only spread the word about your business, but to create DEMAND and drive traffic to your web site.

And guess what; since we’re talking about action taking place online, you can monitor traffic increases to your web site. You can see how increases in your web site traffic coincide with your Radio schedule. You can increase the interaction between your business, and the RIGHT kind of people who will use your product or service.

So now you’ve effectively used Radio to reach the masses, and by creating DEMAND for your online site(s), you’ve also filtered the masses to reach the right kind of potential customers.

So if you have any kind of online presence at all, whether it’s a web site, or a Facebook page, or if you’re the CEO of Google… what kind of “Megaphone” is creating DEMAND for you?

What Generation do you belong to? Are you a Baby Boomer, or a Gen X, Y or Z’r? Do you know what Generation your customers belong to? There’s value if you do.

This is a fascinating, informative, and BRIEF Generation Trend Report published by the wonderful folks at Sparxoo . I recommend viewing this in full screen mode if possible as the text and images are a bit small.

Hopefully this provides a little more insight in to who your customers are, what they look like, and what some of their habits are. The real value in this comes from running your own business plans/products/ideas/ventures through a filter like this and taking note of the outcome.

Are you aligning your business products or services with the right crowd?

I will talk more in the future about Radio’s powerful ability to create demand and drive traffic to online destinations, but for now I just want to get you thinking about why it’s important to even BE an online destination.

If you are in business, you have to be available in the places your potential customers are.

Part 4: We demand Action!

Okay, here’s the final installment of me talking about some unique traits of Radio. Today I’m talking about action.

Radio has the ability to create demand and spark immediate action in a large audience. Here’s an example:

I’m in my car, I hear on the Radio about a big, one day only, super blow-out sale at my absolute most favorite store on earth. Guess where I might just decide to steer my car? To my favorite store!

I heard it on the Radio; it’s happening now, I can respond and act instantly.

Now replace the “big, one day only sale” with “a tornado coming down Main St.”, and I might just decide to steer my car in a different direction…

I heard it on the Radio; it’s happening now, I can respond and act instantly.

This kind of immediate action can be tricky to accomplish with other types of media.

I might have to wait until I find a copy of a newspaper to read about the sale, and I definitely won’t hear about the tornado until a later edition.

Google and the yellow pages only help me if I already know about the sale and need more info or a phone number. In other words, they don’t create demand for the sale; they only satisfy demand that already exists.

A billboard isn’t very helpful with a time sensitive “One Day Only” sale since it takes time to plan, purchase, print, and plaster a new billboard…only to remove it the next day. And I don’t think I’ll ever hear about a tornado from a billboard unless the tornado itself launches the billboard on top of my car.

This is no bash on Newspapers, Google, The Yellow Pages, or Billboards, but a reminder that every type of media has strengths and limitations.

Radio has the ability to connect with a large audience instantly, communicate what’s happening right now, create demand, and spark immediate action.

Do you want to spark immediate action out of your potential customers, or will they come around on their own?

Part 3: Trust Me

We’ll get right to it with more of the unique traits of Radio; today I’m talking about Trust. As most of us might agree, Trust is an absolutely essential component in any relationship.

Trust is also a much sought after and invaluable aspect of all advertising and marketing.

We tend to listen to people we trust

We tend to spend money with brands we trust

As I’ve mentioned here before, Radio, by design, has a uniquely compelling relationship with its audience. Not all types of media create such a relationship, (what’s your relationship with that big billboard on Rt. 40?).

A big part of that compelling relationship is Trust.

Radio creates a powerful bond of Trust between itself and the audience it serves.

Here a few reasons this bond exists:

Radio is populated by real people who are accessible on-air, and live in person

Radio is committed and connected to the local community

Radio can be delivered quickly and in real time

Radio stirs our emotions and imagination with sound

Radio is easy to access and free

I could go on but consider this as a final point; Radio is the first place people turn to in an emergency.

Now I have no desire to wish up an emergency as an example, but what does that tell you? When the computer is down, the TV is out, and yesterday’s paper is nowhere to be found… people can still find Radio, and they turn to Radio first.

Radio is a trusted friend to many, many people. This same trusted friend is a ‘Champion’ for many, many brands and businesses.

Part 1: The way you make me FEEL

Posted By: Jaime Solis

As many of us gear up for what will hopefully be a fun filled holiday weekend, I wanted to introduce this ‘Part 1’ of “What’s so great about Radio anyway?”. I’m also aware that writing this the Friday before the weekend guarantees that NO ONE will read this until maybe Tuesday morning. I can accept that.

Either way; in the coming week(s) I will be taking a little time with these posts to discuss a few of the traits that make Radio so special and unique. It’s important to mention I think, that this is not a ‘pitch’ to convince you that Radio is the greatest. Make no mistake; every type of media has its strengths and limitations. But rather, I’d like to introduce you to some of the fundamental aspects of Radio, in hopes that you can gain a greater understanding of what it is and how to use it.

That said; Radio is EMOTIONAL. Radio, by design, creates and nurtures an emotional connection with an audience. There are several reasons this emotional connection exists. For one, Radio is sound, and sound stirs emotion and reaction (insert - baby crying, slot machine ringing, your favorite song), but instead of listing them all, I’ll leave you an example.

If by chance over this holiday weekend you find yourself around friends, family and lots of food and drink; listen to hear if someone has a Radio on too. Even if it’s an iPod shuffling, or CD’s playing, pay attention to the mood you’re in, in that moment. Radio has the ability to create emotion. To be a part of the way we experience life. The right soundtrack to the right occasion has an impact, and can make all the difference.

This is important because that ‘halo’ of emotion can extend to include the products or brands involved with the Radio Station. This is important because as consumers, we generally make buying decisions… emotionally.

How are you making your potential customers FEEL?

Cheers, and Happy 4th of July! (Unless it’s Tuesday morning, in which case I hope you HAD a great 4th)

Because there’s no such thing as the Ad Market anymore…

Posted By: Jaime Solis

“What do you mean there’s no such thing?”

I mean, traits that at one time distinguished one type of media from another, no longer exist. I mean, you can’t sit down and buy different “flavors” of advertising and expect that tactic alone to be the solution in reaching your advertising goals.

Radio, newspapers, TV, the Internet… these media outlets are no longer different or distinct locations where you “decide” to advertise. Rather, they’re different faces of the same structure; the advertising and marketing business. It’s one big new economy; a new marketplace where the content and the consumer are the driving forces behind growth.

For example, though you may think of the radio, newspapers, TV, and the Yellow Pages etc. as different, unique places to advertise; every one of them has a website. Every one of those websites has text… and audio… and video. Each of these platforms is available to you, the advertiser. These really aren’t such separate or distinct types of media at all.

So, what should matter most to you as an advertiser in this new marketplace? What should matter most when seemingly everyone has the same box of goodies to offer? The answer is IDEAS. When advertisers are out there saying, “Look, we’re confused, we don’t know the best way anymore to connect the value of our products and services to the customers who will benefit from them”, they will look to everyone and anyone for the best IDEA that’s going to generate the results they’re looking for. Your advertising media partners need to be idea generating machines!

So as you move forward in your pursuit of effective marketing and advertising, engage your media consultants and sales reps; have them explain to you their own unique skill set, their best IDEAS. Look for media partners who are willing to move beyond just throwing ads out into space, and instead want to listen to YOUR ideas, and together, build valuable connections with consumers.